Montana Oil Spill Contaminates Tap Water

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An oil spill into the Yellow Stone River has contaminated the tap water for thousands of Glendive Montana area residents. An estimated 50,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from the Poplar Pipeline Saturday morning. Truckloads of safe water had to be shipped into Glendive. The Environmental Protection Agency has advised residents not to drink or cook with tap water until further notice.

Although the city’s test results for traces of oil were initially negative, residents reported a chemical odor in their tap water as early as Sunday night. Later tests done by the EPA confirmed traces of oil in the city’s tap water. Governor Steve Bullock has declared a state of emergency for Glendive and the surrounding area. The EPA has stated:

?The initial results of samples taken from the City of Glendive’s drinking water system indicate the presence of hydrocarbons at elevated levels, and water intakes in the river have been closed,?

The EPA and state agencies as well as Bridger Pipeline LLC, the company in charge of the Poplar Pipeline are working jointly to ?secure alternative drinking water supplies for residents and develop a plan to flush the water distribution system.?, according to the EPA.

However, according to the?Grand Forks Herald, Glendive City Council member Gerald Reichert said he did not believe the residents’ reports of odors in their tap water until he smelled it in his own tap water. Reichert confirmed Monday afternoon:

?Suddenly at our house there was a definite smell. It was a diesel smell?.

The river has sustained oil spills in the past. In 2011 ExxonMobil’s under water Silver Tip Pipeline leaked 63,000 gallons of oil in the river.

Spills like these are unacceptable. Our nation must find a safer alternative to oil. Oil companies must be subject to heavier safety regulations in the mean time. One oil spill is too many. I think many people are tired of their lives being disrupted by these incidents.

 

Dave Christopher resides in Harlem with his partner actress and musician Carla Ogden.Together they are dedicated to many progressive causes. He is a fan of the New York Giants and a professional wrestling enthusiast. He loves music and biking.